


Because You Stayed

by Paper_Crane_Song



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Related, Episode: s02e26 The Expanse, Friendship, Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-22
Updated: 2016-10-22
Packaged: 2018-08-23 18:42:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8338561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paper_Crane_Song/pseuds/Paper_Crane_Song
Summary: A missing scene for what happened after Trip lashed out at Malcolm in The Expanse, and how they reconciled - as two men might - without ever saying a word.





	

**Author's Note:**

> In The Expanse, we have that pretty intense scene where Malcolm is trying to talk to a grieving Trip about his sister, and Trip reacts in a way that's quite hurtful. And then in the next episode there's that nice scene in the corridor where Trip is joking about alien gunk and reassuring Malcolm about the MACOs, and Malcolm (usually not tactile in the slightest) pats him on the back as they part.
> 
> So I thought to myself, "they must have made up in between episodes. I wonder how they did it?" And so this is my take on it. 
> 
> As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback.

**Trip**

Trip sat by himself in the far corner of the messhall, his back to the room, stabbing viciously at his food.

_What the hell was Chef thinking, serving up this crap?_

He threw the fork down in disgust and folded his arms about himself, leaning forward. He was so sick of everyone, of everything, of the time they were wasting just sitting here in spacedock instead of getting out there and pounding some Xindi ass.

And as long as they weren't going anywhere, then the next best thing would be to transport himself down to Earth and head to the nearest bar and drink himself senseless. But he couldn't do that either, and he was just so _angry_ , and so sick of himself, and he picked up the fork again and clenched it in his fist and started mashing it into his food.

 

**Malcolm**

Despite the lateness of the hour there were still a fair few people about in the messhall. He collected his tray and, turning, caught sight of Commander Tucker. Even from the other side of the room he could see the tight set of his shoulders, the perimeter of empty tables surrounding him, the furtive glances from the rest of the crew. No wonder, if that little display in the corridor earlier was anything to go by; the Commander's anger had been lashing out at crewmen and officers alike, though today was the first time Trip had directed it at him.

And it hurt. After all, he wasn't good at this sort of thing, and yet he'd gone with Trip to see the ruins of his home, stood in solidarity with him and listened as he pointed out remains of movie theatres and other landmarks. And yes, perhaps his somewhat awkward attempts to encourage his friend to talk about his sister had been a bit of a mistake, but still, he didn't deserve the venom with which Trip had turned on him.

Yes, he would be perfectly within his rights to take the Commander at his word, to leave him alone and concentrate on his torpedoes instead.

Perfectly justified.

And yet…

 

**Trip**

He saw movement out the corner of his eye, looked up to see Malcolm, sitting down next to him. He glowered, and for a moment thought about taking his tray and leaving. But he still had a full plate of food, and, he realised with a sharp pang, he was hungry, damn it. Why should he be the one to leave? And so he set about his dinner with a vengeance.

 

**Malcolm**

He placed his tray down carefully and sat down. He caught Trip's glare but maintained a neutral expression, picked up his knife and fork and turned his attention to the food.

_Good lord, this is little better than pig swill. Chef really has outdone himself this time._

But to keep up appearances, he began eating.

 

**Trip**

The act of putting food in his mouth, chewing it, swallowing, and then doing it again, and again, slowly, quietly, in the presence of someone who cared, somehow took the edges off his anger. Made it less raw. Even though it still hurt, somewhere deep, a soggy, wet sadness that he didn't want to acknowledge.

Funny how each mouthful was starting to taste like tears.

 

**Malcolm**

He kept eating, matching Trip bite for bite, sitting in rigid awareness of the other man.

 

**Trip**

The food was getting harder and harder to swallow, and so after a while he put down his fork.

 

**Malcolm**

Trip had stopped eating. He expected him to leave, but instead, Trip just sat there.

And then Malcolm deliberately kept his eyes fixed on his food, pretending that nothing untoward was happening, that everything was fine.

 

* * *

 

**Trip**

Gradually he came to himself again. His face felt tight and his head was beginning to ache, at his temples, throbbing. A great weariness was settling upon him. He would go back to his quarters, try to lose himself in the oblivion of sleep. For a few hours, at least.

 

**Malcolm**

He heard the scrape of the chair and he made a conscious effort to let his friend go, to give him the space he had asked for.

 

**Trip**

He moved his chair back, and still Malcolm did not look up. And so in rising, he bumped him with his shoulder, and he was rewarded by a flash of that smile before the other man ducked his head, and he knew Malcolm had got the message.

 

_Because you stayed._

 

_Finis_


End file.
